Tag: Shore Dive

Categories
Central Cascades

Big Cliff Reservoir – Upper River Bottom

The upper river bottom of Big Cliff Reservoir just below Detroit Dam on the Santiam River in the central Oregon Cascades is a serious business, no screwing around SCUBA diving site.  Don’t get us wrong, this is a fun site to drift dive, but it is also a very demanding site where you can easily get caught in an underwater obstruction and drown.  For this reason, this is a site that you need to be prepared to dive and be willing to accept the risks of the site.

Site Highlights

The main highlight of this site is doing a high speed drift dive down the river bottom.  There aren’t many places that are deep enough to blast down a river at breakneck speed.  Dodging sunken trees and huge boulders is great fun (although quite dangerous).  There are some deep potholes that you will most likely get sucked into and spit out the other side after swirling around inside a few times.  We don’t know if there are any underwater caves or pinch points that you might get stuck in but we would not be surprised if there are.  This site has some significant risks that you need to be aware of and willing to accept.

Nearest Town:

Detroit, Oregon is up the road from Big Cliff at the top end of Detroit Lake.

GPS Coordinates:

44.730873, -122.262835

Special Directions to Site:

Heading east on North Santiam highway, look for the right turn toward the top end of Big Cliff Reservoir.  The last time we went diving here a couple years ago, there was a sign for Detroit Dam but this may have been removed since then.

Parking:

We park at the old boat ramp next to the big metal electrical transmission tower.  There is another parking area up toward Detroit Dam on the access road that we have used to stage gear before leaving the car at the lower exit.

big cliff site plan
Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google. The upper river at Big Cliff Reservoir is an exhilarating dive site but it can kill you.

Site Orientation:

You just follow the river down.  There isn’t much else to it.  Along the way you will encounter rocks, logs, big washtubs and potholes in the rock, and a bunch of other stuff that blazes by in the blink of an eye.

Entrances and Exits:

We usually enter at the entrance farthest up the river just above the bridge.  However, due to national security concerns, this area may now be closed off or could be closed off at any point in time.

There is another good place to enter and a good place to exit early just below the bridge at a pull-out.  If push comes to shove, you can exit just about anywhere along the river if you don’t mind scrambling up a steep bank.  You can also float along the surface until you reach the lower exit and your car.

The lower exit is at the old boat ramp and the big metal electrical transmission tower.  We have tried putting out a line underwater here so that we know when we need to surface but we seem to never manage to see the line.  Instead, watch your depth and surface when you hit around 50 feet (this depends on the Big Cliff Reservoir water level though).  If you blow past 50 feet, you’ll be heading into the lower dive site on Big Cliff Reservoir.

Salt/Fresh:

This is a fresh water dive.

Shore/Boat:

This is a shore dive.

Normal Conditions:

The whole point of this site is the incredible current.  You cannot fight against it.  All you can do is follow along.

The potential for underwater obstructions that can entangle and drown you is very real at this site.  Be darn sure of your skills and ready to accept the very real risks before you jump in here.  We are very skilled divers with experience diving all over the world and thousands of dives under our collective belts, and this site scares us.

You will almost certainly lose your buddy underwater unless you’re holding onto each other.  Be prepared and have a plan for what to do when you separate.  Taking the time to surface (which you should do unless you are certified to solo dive) will eat up a lot of river distance due to how fast the current is.

Water conditions change rapidly and drastically here based on what Detroit Dam is doing.  There is no warning for changing water conditions.  Although if you hear a big alarm klaxon, that may mean Detroit Dam is suffering some sort of breach or failure and you’re about to be swept way downriver in a flood.  That probably isn’t going to happen while you’re diving here though.

Normal Visibility:

We usually get 5-10 feet of visibility here.  It is dependent on the water quality exiting Detroit Dam upstream.

Normal Temperature:

Water temperature really varies here based on what Detroit Dam is doing.  Usually it seems the water is between 45 and 65F.

Best Time of Year:

We don’t know if there is a better time to dive here or not.  We have only gone to this site a couple of times in the spring and summer.  During those times, conditions were acceptable for the level of risk we were willing to take.

Max Depth:

Most of the way along the river, you will be between 15 and 25 feet deep.  In potholes, you can hit 40 feet briefly.  At the bottom end of the site, you should surface before you hit 50 feet so that you don’t end up way down at the bottom of Detroit Lake.

Suggested Special Training:

Anything less than a rescue diver certification and extensive experience with drift diving and underwater hazards is really asking for trouble at this site.  Even with that training and experience, this site is still risky.

Difficulty of Dive:

If it weren’t for the very real danger of being pinned under a log or against a rock where you will slowly run out of air and then drown, this would be a fairly straight forward and easy dive.  Because of these very real risks, you need to be in peak physical condition and be a very experienced diver.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

Depending on where you park, if you drop your gear off upriver, and if you choose to enter at the middle or upper entrance, you could be walking anywhere from 50 feet to 2400 feet.

Surface Swim Length:

There is no surface swim here.  Swimming against the current is normally impossible.

Special Site Notes:

This is a no screwing around dive site.  There are many things underwater waiting and eager to grab and drown you thoroughly dead.  Get some serious training and serious experience before you attempt this site.

We suggest taking a good dive light so that you can at least read your gauges in some of the deep, black holes.  We have several dive lights that we use every time we dive in Oregon and highly recommend at the Gear We Use page.

[Underwater Map of Dive Site Coming Soon!]

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

There aren’t any close dive shops up here.  The closest shop is in Salem.

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

Detroit has a few small restaurants that are decent places for a meal.

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

There are several federal and state campgrounds nearby and plenty of primitive camping in the national forest.

We haven’t tried any of the hotels or cabins in the area.  Please let us know if you know of a good place that is SCUBA friendly!

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!

Categories
Central Cascades

Foster Reservoir – Calkins Park

Calkins Park on the top end of Foster Reservoir is a decent place to do training dives or to explore for things that fall overboard from boats being put into the water at the boat ramp.  We have done some training dives here for a rescue diver class.  The dives were pretty miserable but it was excellent training for all of the students.  If you’re looking for a site to dive in the central Oregon Cascades, this could be just the ticket.

Foster Reservoir (Linn County, Oregon scenic images) (linnDA0050a)
Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives [Attribution], via Wikimedia Commons. Calkins Park can be beautiful in the summer and fall but can be a wet, miserable place in the winter and spring.

Site Highlights:

You can probably already tell that this isn’t our favorite dive site.  The bottom is muddy and will cause complete blackout conditions if you touch it.  In the winter and spring when snowmelt is pumping down into the reservoir, the water can be right at freezing.  In the summer and fall, boaters crowd the boat ramp and make this site not very safe for SCUBA divers.

That being said, Calkins Park is a great place to go train in sometimes challenging conditions.  We have participated in and seen several rescue diver classes take place here.  The conditions are demanding and the site is challenging enough to be useful for training but not so challenging as to be bad for teaching a class.

If you go to dive here for fun, more power to you.  You might find a lost wallet or fishing gear that fell off of a boat getting put into the water.

On one particular day, we did several training dives at this site.  The water temperature was cold enough that we were quite unhappy with our drysuits because they weren’t keeping us particularly warm.  We could see ice crystals flowing by in the water.  The bottom conditions instantly turned into blackout at the slightest fin touch.  The current was strong and unrelenting.  One student dropped his face mask and it instantly vanished in five feet of water.  No amount of scouring the bottom revealed where the mask had gone.  But the students learned a lot and are much better divers for the experience.

Nearest Town:

Sweethome, Oregon is just down the road.

GPS Coordinates:

44.413542, -122.626049

Special Directions to Site:

Head east from Sweethome on US 20 (Santiam Highway) and look for signs to Calkins Park and Quartzville Road.  Right after you turn left onto Quartzville Road, take another left into Calkins Park.

Parking:

We went diving here in the late winter and had the place to ourselves.  In the summer and fall, parking is packed.

calkins par
Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google. Calkins Park is a good place for training dives in challenging conditions but otherwise is not something that we dive regularly.

Site Orientation:

The shore runs more or less east west.  Deeper water is to the north.  Steer clear of the boat ramp when people are actively loading and unloading boats.  We suggest taking a dive flag along if there are boaters in the area.  We have a dive flag that we love and use listed on our Gear We Use page.

Entrances and Exits:

If there isn’t any boat traffic, you can use the boat ramp.  Otherwise, the beach to the west of the boat ramp is usually a good entrance even when the water is very low.

Salt/Fresh:

This is a fresh water dive.

Shore/Boat:

This is a shore dive although you could practice boat diving here.

Normal Conditions:

Conditions vary widely based on the time of year and water level in the reservoir.  In the summer and fall, there is very little current and the site gets a bit stagnant from the water not moving.  In the winter, icebergs can flow into the lake with the water level so low that the site is not diveable.

Normal Visibility:

The best we have ever seen here is about five feet of viz.  If you even so much as look at the bottom the wrong way, you will have instant blackout conditions that will not clear if there isn’t enough current.

Normal Temperature:

32F during snowmelt all the way up to 65F at the end of a hot, dry summer.

Best Time of Year:

There isn’t any boat traffic here in the winter which is desirable.  Otherwise this site can be dived any time that the water is high enough and you are bold enough to do so.

Max Depth:

The max depth really varies based on how much water is in the reservoir.  When we went diving here in the winter, we never went below 30 feet but in the summer when the reservoir is full, you could see 60-70 foot depths.

Suggested Special Training:

Open water divers can dive this site.  It would be a good place to practice your neutral buoyancy skills and navigation.

Difficulty of Dive:

This is an easy dive with an easy entrance.  The only difficulty is when the water is freezing cold and when you get blackout conditions because you stir up the silt.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

Depending on parking and water level, 50-500 feet.

Surface Swim Length:

No surface swim is needed usually.

Special Site Notes:

Ask yourself if you really want to dive here before you bother setting up your gear.  We think this is a pretty miserable dive site in the winter and spring.  In the summer and fall there is a lot of boat traffic.  The bottom stirs up and reduces visibility to absolutely nil.

When the water level is low, the lake bed becomes a series of morasses and mud flats where people sometimes get stuck up to their waists in the mud.  Go gingerly through the mud and turn back if you start to hit quicksand.

[Underwater Map of Dive Site Coming Soon!]

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

There isn’t any dive shop around Calkins Park.  The closest shops are in Salem and Eugene.

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

Sweethome has a couple decent restaurants.  Let us know if you have a favorite that we should try!

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

There is plenty of camping in the area at federal campgrounds, private campgrounds, and off forest roads where you can do primitive camping.  We haven’t tried any hotels or cabins in the area.  Let us know if you know of a good hotel that is SCUBA diver friendly in the area!

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!

Categories
Northern Oregon Coast

Crab Rocks / The Three Graces

The Three Graces, otherwise known as Crab Rocks, is a beautiful dive site right off US101 just west of Garibaldi, Oregon.  We love coming here to dive for the scenery above and below water.  The complex and ever changing currents make this a fun and challenging site to navigate.  We have had great luck spearfishing and crabbing here in the past.

Site Highlights

This is one of the easiest sites to access in Tillamook Bay.  The entrance and exit are easy and straight forward compared to the jetty dive sites.  The scenery is breathtaking.  The crabbing and spearfishing are pretty good.  And the tricky currents that are constantly changing make this a fun navigation puzzle.

Nearest Town:

Garibaldi, Oregon.

GPS Coordinates:

45.564029, -123.936416

Special Directions to Site:

Look for the parking on the west side of US101 just north of the Three Graces.

Parking:

Parking is free and plentiful.  We have heard from some of our SCUBA friends that sometimes people’s cars get broken into here if a bunch of expensive looking equipment is left visible inside.  When we go diving here, we usually take some friends along who aren’t divers so that they can make sure our stuff is safe while they enjoy the scenery.

three graces
Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google. The Three Graces or Crab Rocks dive site is a fun navigation puzzle with good spearfishing and crabbing.

Site Orientation:

The main site is around the Three Graces.  Stick close to the rocks and remember than heading east gets you to land.  Good navigation skills are a big help here especially when the current starts playing tricks on you.

The rock further north (called Painted Rock on NOAA navigational charts) can also be dived although a longer surface swim is necessary to reach it.  There are a few smaller rocks in between that might be worth checking out if you feel like navigating to them.

Entrances and Exits:

The entrance and exit is along the railroad tracks.  Follow the path that crosses the railroad tracks and pick your favorite spot to climb over the low jetty to get to the water.  One spot is much easier than the others.  Scout ahead before you jump in.

Salt/Fresh:

This is a salt water dive.

Shore/Boat:

This is a shore dive.

Normal Conditions:

This is so far in the Tillamook Bay that you won’t have any surf or surge.  You will have current though.  The current swirls around the Three Graces in unusual and somewhat unpredictable patterns.  It makes this a great navigation puzzle site.

Normal Visibility:

We have seen anywhere from 10 to 25 feet of visibility depending on time of year and upstream river conditions.

Normal Temperature:

This site can be as cold as 38F and as warm as 57F depending on what is happening upriver in the Coast Range.  Cold winter rains can really chill the water here while hot summer days can make the water pretty warm.

Best Time of Year:

We like diving here in the spring and fall the best although the site is diveable year round.

Max Depth:

We once logged 51 feet here in some potholes by the base of the three graces before but most of this site is pretty shallow.

Suggested Special Training:

This site is accessible to anyone with open water SCUBA certification although you will want to have sharp navigation skills because of the complex nature of this dive site.

Difficulty of Dive:

We rate this as an easy beginner dive because there isn’t much that can go seriously wrong at this site.  You would have to really work at it to get sucked out to sea from here.  There is boat traffic in the shipping channel but sticking close to the rocks you won’t have any troubles with that.

The entrance does require a small jetty scramble but it’s nowhere near as intense as many of the other jetties along the Oregon coast.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

It’s about a 200-300 feet walk to the best area to enter.

Surface Swim Length:

You will want to surface swim maybe 100 feet out to get to deeper water before you descend.

Special Site Notes:

At low tide, this site is really not diveable.  This is much more enjoyable at high tide.

Taking gear to spearfish or crab can be a fun way to spice this site up if you have gone diving here before.  We have a list of gear that we use when we go spearfishing and crabbing over at our Gear We Use page.

[Underwater Map of Dive Site Coming Soon!]

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

There used to be a dive shop in Tillamook although we haven’t been able to confirm in a few years if it is still open or not.

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

Garibaldi and Rockaway Beach both have good restaurants.

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

Tillamook County Parks operates several campgrounds in the area.  We haven’t tried any of the local hotels so please let us know if you know of a good hotel that is SCUBA diver friendly!

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!

Categories
Central Oregon Coast

Florence – North Jetty SCUBA Park and Crab Hole

Crab Hole at the Florence north jetty SCUBA park is one of those dives that just about every SCUBA diver in Oregon has done at least once.  Many people do their last one or two open water certification dives at the SCUBA park.  Lots of people come over for an afternoon of diving from Eugene or a weekend of fun in Florence from Portland.  The very easy diver-friendly entrance, the relatively protected inner area of the dive site, and the plentiful crabs out in Crab Hole make it an excellent place to have some fun.  Even when the parking lot is full of divers, the site is big enough to accommodate everyone.

florence entrance
The entrance at the Florence Dive Park and Crab Hole is custom-made for SCUBA divers. Sometimes a little debris gets washed up into the top of the old fish ladder but it usually isn’t too bad.

Site Highlights:

This site has something for everyone.  Most people will first mention Crab Hole, a feature of the jetty construction where there is a small semi-circular hole in the bottom that crabs congregate in by the mesh bag full.  Many people will mention how easy the entrance and exit is.  An old fish ladder was installed at the site specifically to make it easier for SCUBA divers to get into and out of the water.  There isn’t an easier place to reach the water on any of the jetties in Oregon that we know of.  We also love looking at all of the micro marine life at this site.  There are a few protected spots that you can mostly get out of the current to go slow and check out nudibranchs, hermit crabs, barnacles, and other tiny things.

Nearest Town:

Florence, Oregon

GPS Coordinates:

44.016220, -124.131106

Special Directions to Site:

It’s a little tricky finding this site without a GPS or navigation map on your phone.  If you plug in the GPS coordinates listed above, your smart device will take you right to the site.

Otherwise, take 35th Street west from US101 in Florence.  Turn right onto Rhododendron Drive.  Turn left onto North Jetty Road.

Take the first left off of North Jetty Road into the large parking area.

Parking:

Parking has always been free and plentiful here.  It is not uncommon to see several of the dive shops from the Willamette Valley have their trailers parked here while they run classes at the dive site.

Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google. An easy entrance, a bounty of crabs, and lots of parking — this dive site has it all! Crab Hole and the Florence SCUBA Park is a great place to go diving and get experience on the jetties of Oregon.

 

Site Orientation:

The site runs from southeast to northwest.  The entrance is roughly in the middle of the dive site.  There is a big old pipe underwater that is a good marker for knowing where to surface to take your exit.  Crab hole is roughly south from the entrance.

If you get too far out into the shipping channel not only will you find nothing but sand but you will also potentially find strong current and shipping traffic.

Entrances and Exits:

This is one of the easiest entrance/exit setups on the whole Oregon Coast.  No other jetty has it this easy.  You walk down some stairs into the old fish ladder where there are some benches you can sit on while you do final gear checks.  Then step out of the end of the old fish ladder into the water, put your fins and mask on, and away you go!  Just about anyone can do this dive site.

Salt/Fresh:

This is a salt water dive.

Shore/Boat:

This is a shore dive.

Normal Conditions:

Conditions here are usually good.  Occasionally there is some surge but it is rare.  Very occasionally a big storm can push wood and other debris up into the entrance area.  We once did not dive here because some big logs were rolling around right where we wanted to dive.

Nine times out of ten, this site is just fine to go diving.

logs in the water
In really bad storms, logs and other debris can find their way into the entrance area at the Florence SCUBA Park and Crab Hole. On days like these, we usually go to a different site in Florence rather than deal with the hassle of logs.

There is some current that you need to deal with especially on the western side of this dive site.  This is a good place to practice dealing with current on a jetty.

In crab hole itself, the current can swirl around in an unexpected way that can be disorienting to some people.  Be sure to watch your compass so that you can stay oriented with the jetty.

Normal Visibility:

Usually we get about 15 feet of visibility when we go diving here.  The bottom is sandy and can’t really be stirred up.  On a rare day with a very big high tide, you might push 20 feet of visibility.

Normal Temperature:

It’s usually between 45 and 55F here.

Best Time of Year:

This site can be dived all year long.  Crab Hole always has crab in it but check local crabbing regulations and make sure you have your permits in order.

Max Depth:

We have hit 55 feet in Crab Hole before.  Most of the site is around 40 feet though.

Suggested Special Training:

We have watched many open water divers finish their training dives here.  This site is accessible to anyone who is certified to go SCUBA diving in open water.

Difficulty of Dive:

This is an easy dive suitable for beginners who are freshly certified and for people who don’t like the physically demanding entries at other jetties on the Oregon Coast.  The only difficult part is the current can kick up and make your dive a little more strenuous.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

20 feet if you get the best parking spot.

Surface Swim Length:

None unless you want to for some reason.

Special Site Notes:

It’s a good idea to fly a dive flag here to let boaters in the area know that you’re underwater.  A flashlight is a good idea when you’re in Crab Hole hunting for crabs and to peer in between the jetty boulders.  A good mesh bag is what you need to put crabs in.  We have our favorites for all of these gear items listed on our Gear We Use page.

The site can get very busy with divers.  Be sure you know what your buddy looks like underwater and stick close together.  We have seen it happen more than once where a buddy pair will surface with different buddies than when they started the dive!

[Underwater Map of Dive Site Coming Soon!]

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

There used to be a local dive shop in Florence although we haven’t been by in a couple years to confirm if it is still in operation.  The last time we were in, you could get air fills and very limited SCUBA gear.

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

The old waterfront in Florence has some great seafood restaurants that we like.

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

There are several camping areas around Florence that the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Bureau runs.

We haven’t tried any of the local hotels yet.  Please let us know if there is a good hotel in town that is SCUBA friendly that you have tried!

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!

Categories
Northern Oregon Coast

South Jetty on Tillamook Bay

The south jetty of Tillamook Bay does not see very many SCUBA divers because of the difficulty of access.  The road out to the jetty is almost always gated and locked.  With a boat launched from one of the marinas in Tillamook Bay, you can easily reach the site.  We have heard of a few people surface swimming from the north shore at the Inner North Jetty dive site but that is an epic surface swim where you have to fight the current and dodge boat traffic.  With a hand cart and patience, you can lug all of your dive gear from the parking area along the gravel road to the jetty a few miles away.

The main reason people go dive the south jetty is to spearfish.  Because so few people dive along the jetty, the fish tend to be bigger and more plentiful than on the north jetty (at least in our experience).  You also get to put the feather in your SCUBA cap of diving a site that not many people ever get to dive.

USACE Tillamook Bay Oregon
By Bill Johnson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. The south jetty (on the right) doesn’t get many SCUBA visitors but it is worth the difficulty of accessing the dive site if you want do some good spearfishing.
The old abandoned town of Bayocean is what drove the construction of the jetties on the mouth of Tillamook Bay.  Depending on what path or road you take through the Tillamook County Bayocean Peninsula Park, you might catch a glimpse of a few foundations and the memorial sign at the old town square.  Most of the town fell into the ocean due to coastal erosion.

Bayodancenata
See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. The old natatorium and dance hall at Bayocean before they fell into the sea.

Site Highlights:

The reason anyone dives here is for the spearfishing.  Otherwise this is a pretty typical Oregon jetty dive that has really difficult access.

Nearest Town:

The little unincorporated town of Barview is across the channel.  The town of Garibaldi is just up the bay and on the other side.  Tillamook is further south.

GPS Coordinates:

45.565360, -123.948930

Special Directions to Site:

If you’re going to access this site via boat, go to Garibaldi and put your boat in at the marina there.

If you’re going to do the long hike to the dive site, in Tillamook take the Netarts Highway to the west from downtown and then turn onto Bayocean Road just after you cross over the bridge.  Follow Bayocean Road all the way to the parking area at the Tillamook County Bayocean Peninsula Park.

If you’re going to do the surface swim because you’re practicing for an Iron Man or because you like punishing yourself, the parking area for the Inner North Jetty dive site is the best place to park.

Parking:

In Garibaldi at the boat launch, there is plenty of parking.  At the Bayocean Peninsula Park parking lot, there usually is plenty of parking.

Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google.
It is a challenge to get to the south jetty on the Tillamook Bay but the spear fishing is good.

Site Orientation:

The site hugs the jetty wall from southeast to northwest on the inner part and then after a bend in the jetty, from east to west.  The western area is deeper than the eastern area.  You could theoretically dive the jetty tip if you wanted but the conditions out there are almost always very rough and not something that would be all that fun to do.

close up of barview jetty south site
Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google.
The south jetty on the Tillamook Bay is a good place to spearfish. There is one area on the jetty wall that is easier to climb over than others but most of the jetty is pretty accessible.

Entrances and Exits:

There is one area on the jetty wall near where the jetty hooks to the west that is a little lower and easier to scramble over.  However, you can enter or exit just about anywhere along the wall.

Salt/Fresh:

This is a salt water dive.

Shore/Boat:

The south jetty can be done either as a shore dive or a boat dive.  A boat dive is significantly less physically demanding although a competent captain is needed to navigate dropping off SCUBA divers along the jetty wall.

If you do this as a shore dive, prepare for a several mile long hike towing a cart with all of your gear in it.

Normal Conditions:

This site almost always has a wicked ripping current along the south jetty.  The tidal exchange into and out of Tillamook Bay is pretty huge and there is very little slack tide.  Stay close to the jetty rocks and plan your dive to stay safe.  You don’t want to get sucked out to sea or pushed way up into the bay.

There can be surf and surge, especially the farther out you go on the jetty toward the ocean.  We strongly suggest you assess the conditions and only dive where you feel comfortable diving.

Normal Visibility:

Viz here is usually around 15 feet although it can be better in fair weather.  The bottom is mostly sand so you don’t need to worry too much about stirring up mud.

Normal Temperature:

Water temperature usually is around 42-55F.

Best Time of Year:

The best time of the year to dive here depends on if you are doing the long walk from the parking area or if you are taking a boat.  If you’re taking a boat, just about any time is decent to dive here as long as conditions aren’t too rough.  If you’re hiking, we suggest doing it in the fall or spring when it isn’t too sunny or warm so that you don’t roast on the long slog to the dive site.

Max Depth:

On the westerly part of the jetty, you can find 40 feet sometimes.  On the inside eastern part of the south jetty, the depth is more like 15-20 feet.

Suggested Special Training:

We suggest having advanced open water training and experience diving other jetties in Oregon, such as the Florence north jetty SCUBA park and “crab hole” where there is an easy entrance and exit and more forgiving conditions.

If you are doing this as a boat dive, you need experience on how to safely enter and exit a boat.

If you’re planning to go more toward the jetty tip, rescue diver training, drift diver training, and a lot of experience in very rough conditions is necessary.

Difficulty of Dive:

The dive itself is an intermediate difficulty site because of the jetty entrance and exit, and the current.  However, the huge hike from the parking area makes this a shore dive for only the most fit of people.  If you’re doing this from a boat, weekend warriors shouldn’t have much issue.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

If you do the long walk from the parking area, you have several miles to lug all your gear.  A wheeled cart will make your life much easier.

Surface Swim Length:

There isn’t any need to surface swim unless you are accessing this site from the inner north jetty dive site.  If that’s the case, then you are looking at a 1000 foot surface swim with current and shipping traffic to dodge.

Special Site Notes:

We suggest you contact the Tillamook County Parks Department to see if you can arrange to have the gate opened to drive out to the jetty rather than having to walk.  We have not been successful with this approach yet but if enough people start asking, perhaps the parks department will start opening up the gate more often for SCUBA divers.

[Underwater Map of Dive Site Coming Soon!]

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

There used to be a shop in Tillamook that did air fills although we can’t confirm if it is still open.  Please let us know if you know of a local shop!

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

Tillamook has a lot of good food.  Oceanside and Netarts just down the road have good food as well.  If you’re coming in from Garibaldi on a boat, there are also some restaurants there.

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

There aren’t any close campgrounds although Tillamook County Parks operate several in the area as does Oregon State Parks.

We have not tried any of the local hotels.  Please let us know if you have tried one and found it to be diver friendly!

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!

Categories
Northern Oregon Coast

Middle North Jetty at Barview Jetty County Park

While the parking can be tight, the middle north jetty dive site on the Barview north jetty is a good place to go diving if you want to spearfish or go crabbing.  The current is usually too strong to stop and look around for very long but the hunting is good.  The Tillamook County Barview Jetty Park and Campground is very close and could serve as a nice home base for a few days of diving around Tillamook Bay.

USACE Tillamook Bay Oregon
By Bill Johnson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. The north Barview jetty is a great place to dive if you want to go spearfishing or crabbing. The middle north jetty dive site has a shorter walk than the inner north jetty dive site but is a little more exposed to ocean conditions.

Site Highlights

The main highlight at this site is spearfishing and crabbing.  The tidal exchange produces too much current here to go slow and look at all of the micro marine life.

Nearest Town:

Barview, Oregon is the closest unincorporated town.  Garibaldi is the closest larger town and Tillamook is a bit further south.

GPS Coordinates:

45.569570, -123.953319

Special Directions to Site:

Follow signs from US101 for the Tillamook County Barview Jetty Park.  Follow Jetty Road west and look for the left-hand (southerly) turn.  If you go too far, you’ll end up at the end of the road and the outer north jetty dive site.

Parking:

There is limited parking at this dive site.  We have seen this site’s parking full on busy weekends.  The last time we went here, we did not pay to park although that may change.

barview middle north jetty
Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google.
The middle north jetty dive site at Barview is a good place to go spearfishing and crabbing.

Site Orientation:

The site runs generally east-west along the north jetty.  Keep close to the jetty and don’t stray into the shipping channel.

Entrances and Exits:

This is a difficult jetty entrance.  We highly recommend that you walk the entrance before you don your SCUBA gear to make sure you have a solid plan for where you want to crawl over the jetty.  It’s a good idea to take something to mark your exit point so that you can find it easily when you surface.  A dive flag, like the one we recommend on our Gear We Use page, works as a good marker and lets nearby boats know that you’re along the jetty.

Salt/Fresh:

This is a salt water dive.

Shore/Boat:

This is a shore dive.

Normal Conditions:

You WILL find current at this site.  Depending on how the waves are coming into the coast, you may encounter surge and surf as well although it is rare to get much surge here and rarer to have surf.

Normal Visibility:

Visibility is normally 15 feet on a good day.  The best visibility is at high tide.  If a big storm has been dumping rain above Tillamook Bay, visibility will be reduced.

Normal Temperature:

We have seen water temperatures here between 48 and 57F depending on the time of year.

Best Time of Year:

The middle north jetty dive site can be dived at any time throughout the year.  We usually like going here during crabbing season though.

Max Depth:

At high tide, you can find 40 feet of water along the middle north jetty.

Suggested Special Training:

We suggest having advanced open water training and be comfortable with climbing over jetties.  This site always has a good current so be prepared to dive in strong current.  Some people will do this as a drift dive and come out either at the inner north jetty dive site or the outer north jetty dive site.

Difficulty of Dive:

We think this is an intermediate dive due to the current and the jetty entrance.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

It’s about 75 feet from the parking lot to the jetty.

Surface Swim Length:

No surface swim is needed as long as you’re decent with navigation.

Special Site Notes:

The current here can really rip.  We usually prefer to dive this site when the tide is still coming in and exit just after slack tide.

[Underwater Map of Dive Site Coming Soon!]

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

There used to be a local dive shop in Tillamook although we aren’t sure if it is still in business.  Please let us know if you have up to date information!

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

There are restaurants up and down US101 near this dive site.  If you have any favorites, please let us know!

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

The Tillamook County Barview Jetty Park has a good campground with RV sites, tent sites, and cabins for rent.

We haven’t tried any of the hotels in the area so please let us know if you know of one that is SCUBA diver friendly!

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!

Categories
Northern Oregon Coast

Inner North Jetty at Barview Jetty County Park

The inner north jetty at Barview Jetty County Park is a great place to go spear fishing and crabbing.  We have caught many lingcod and dungeness crabs here.  The current along the inner north jetty can be a little tricky and the entrance and exit is grueling at high tide but the hunting here is good.  Be sure to have your fishing license in order and be extra sure that you are only catching things that are legal to catch and the correct size.  We have had the state police called on us more than once by angry fishermen who didn’t want us spearfishing in their favorite fishing spot.  Each time though, we were in the clear and the fishermen ended up getting tickets for not having their fishing licenses!

Site Highlights

The main highlight of the Barview County Park dive site is spearfishing and crabbing.  The current usually moves along here too fast to go slow and check out the micro marine life.  There are other sites in Tillamook Bay such as The Three Graces (also known as Crab Rocks) and the Lumber Dock that are better for checking out tiny sea creatures and going slow.

Nearest Town:

Barview, Oregon (the zip code is 97136.  Don’t accidentally go to the Barview on the Central/Southern Oregon coast.  Sometimes Google Maps will try to navigate you to the wrong Barview!) is the closest small town.  Garibaldi is just down the road a mile or two and has more services.  Tillamook is the closest large town.

GPS Coordinates:

45.568501, -123.945484

Special Directions to Site:

Look for Barview Jetty County Park signs along US101.  Cedar Street takes you right down to the parking area.  The Barview Jetty Store and Deli (it was called this the last time we were here but the name could change) is at the southwest corner of the intersection that you take to get onto Cedar Street.

Parking:

At the end of Cedar Street there is a large gravel parking lot that overlooks a tidal area full of rocks.  Beyond the tidal area is the inner north jetty.  This is just outside of the pay station for the campground and the rest of the park.  There are two other dive sites further west along the jetty that you have to pass through the pay station to reach.  This dive site doesn’t require you to pay as of the last time that we visited.

barview jetty site plan
Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google.
The Barview inner north jetty dive site is a great place to spearfish and go crabbing.

Site Orientation:

The site runs roughly east-west along the jetty.  Keep the jetty to your north and don’t let yourself get sucked into or out of Tillamook Bay by the current.  Depending on what side of high tide you dive this site on, the current will try its hardest to pull you away from where you want to be.  If you find yourself heading west, you could exit at the middle north jetty dive site or the outer north jetty dive site and have a long walk back to your car.

Entrances and Exits:

There are two entrances/exits that we have used near the parking area.  These are low spots in the jetty.  Getting to the entrances is difficult at high tide because the tidal flats between the parking area and the dive site are full of rocks and knee-to-waist-deep water.  You can’t swim in this water so you have to slog through it.  Wading through water wearing 100 lbs of SCUBA gear and trying to avoid tripping on unseen rocks really saps your energy.

At the jetty, you have to do the typical Oregon jetty scramble to get to the inner north jetty dive site.

Jetty and Tillamook Bay - Barview, Tillamook County, Oregon
The Barview inner north jetty with the tide mostly out. The entrance is a long slog from the parking area through knee-to-waist deep water and with a bunch of rocks to trip over. By M.O. Stevens (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Salt/Fresh:

This is a salt water dive.

Shore/Boat:

This is a shore dive.

Normal Conditions:

There is always current here.  Slack tide lasts only a few minutes.  The rest of the time, you’ll be getting pushed or pulled by the current.  Sometimes the wave sets coming in from the ocean line up just right to put some waves on the inner north jetty but usually you only are dealing with current here.

This is a favorite spot for fishermen.  Be mindful of fishing lines and bring a safety shears in case you get tangled in line.  We have a safety shears we highly recommend on our Gear We Use page.

Normal Visibility:

Usually visibility is around 10-15 feet here although the rivers coming into Tillamook Bay can produce a lot of sediment after a big winter storm that can significantly reduce visibility.

Normal Temperature:

Usually we have seen between 48 and 55F at this dive site although if there has been a lot of cold rain upstream of Tillamook Bay, it can be colder.

Best Time of Year:

This site can be SCUBA dived any time during the year.

Max Depth:

Max depth at the inner north jetty is around 40 feet.

Suggested Special Training:

We suggest having advanced open water training for this site.  This is a typical Oregon jetty entrance with an extra long slog through annoyingly placed rocks and knee-to-waist deep water.  This would not be a good place to have your first jetty entrance experience.  The inner fingers at Newport (first or second) would be a better place to try jetty entrances for the first time.

Difficulty of Dive:

We rate this as an intermediate dive because of the annoying entrance and the climb over the jetty rocks.  The current also factors into our consideration here.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

Depending on which entrance you use, you’re looking at a 150-300 foot walk through water and rocks before you get to the jetty.

Surface Swim Length:

No surface swim needed here.

Special Site Notes:

Be mindful of sport fishermen and hobby crabbers.  We must share our spaces to continue being invited back as SCUBA divers.

Watch the current.  We suggest going against the current at the start of your dive if you have already passed slack tide.  If you are straddling over either side of high tide, then you can drift in with the current and back out after the tidal exchange has switched.

[Underwater Map of Dive Site Coming Soon!]

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

There may still be a local dive shop in Tillamook but we haven’t checked in with this shop in a while.  If you know of any shops in the Tillamook Bay area, please let us know!

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

We haven’t tried out any of the restaurants around the inner north jetty but in Tillamook there are several decent places.  Let us know if you have a favorite place to eat here!

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

The Tillamook County Barview Jetty Park has a campground with a bunch of spaces for RVs, tents, and anything in between.  They also have some cabins for rent.

We haven’t tried any of the hotels in the area yet.  If you know of a good hotel that is SCUBA diver friendly, please let us know!

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!

Categories
Central Oregon Coast

Newport – OSU Research Dock

The OSU Research Dock is a fun place to dive if you like looking at the bottoms of ships or if you want to check out some of the marine life on the piers.  You absolutely MUST have permission from the correct authorities (we highly recommend having it in writing and carrying it with you) before you dive.  Due to the recent relocation of the NOAA fleet, the police are very sensitive to people diving here without permission.  Underwater you will find some interesting anemones, sometimes some lost research hardware, and we once found some bones we thought might have been human in closer to shore.

The R/V Oceanus
The R/V Oceanus at dock at night. Only people with special permission can dive on this site. The OSU Research Dock is a fun dive though so if it interests you, you might as well ask for permission.

Site Highlights:

The big highlight for us at the OSU Research Dock is diving underneath the R/V Oceanus, the R/V Elakha, and the R/V Pacific Storm when they are in port.  We have spent time looking over the boat hulls, inspecting the zincs, and seeing what interesting marine life grows on these ocean-going research labs.

There is also quite a bit of life that lives on the piers that hold up the dock.  We have seen quite a few anemones on the pilings.  If you head toward shore, things get shallow fast.  We found some bones out there once that kind of looked human but probably were from a deer.

Any Oregon State University (Go Beavs!) fans or students will want to dive this site to have bragging rights with their friends.  There aren’t that many universities with their own research dock!

Nearest Town:

Newport, Oregon.

GPS Coordinates:

44.624454, -124.045659

Special Directions to Site:

Take the aquarium exit from US101 and then follow the signs to the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center.  When you get permission from the Center, they will tell you where you can park.

Parking:

There is parking along the shore where you most likely will get permission to park your car and assemble your gear.  If you know the right people, you might be able to park in the maintenance yard at the edge of the pier.  If you’re really lucky, you might get to park out on the dock itself although don’t count on that!

Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google. The OSU Research Dock is a fun site to dive but you absolutely MUST ASK AND RECEIVE PERMISSION from the correct authorities. We strongly recommend you have it in writing and carry it with you. You don’t want to surface to a state cop waiting for you!

 

Site Orientation:

The dock runs roughly east-west.  To the south of the dock, there are some mud flats and the water intake structure for the Hatfield Marine Science Center’s many salt water tanks.  You’ll want to stick around the dock.

Entrances and Exits:

You probably will be entering and exiting along the south shore and then swimming out until the water is deep enough to start diving.  If you’re lucky and have permission, you might get to dive from the dock itself but don’t count on this.

Salt/Fresh:

This is a salt water dive.

Shore/Boat:

This is a shore dive although if you are attached to the Hatfield Marine Science Center, you might get to dive this from one of the research ships.

Normal Conditions:

Usually this site is pretty calm although as you head north from the dock, the current through the Yaquina River can really rip.

Normal Visibility:

At high tide, expect to have 10-15 feet of visibility.

Normal Temperature:

Depending on what the river is doing, you will see 45-55F in the water at the OSU Research Dock.

Best Time of Year:

Any time of year this dive site can be fun.

Max Depth:

If you go out into the channel to the north, you can sometimes find 30 feet although normally you’ll be around 20 feet near the docks.

Suggested Special Training:

Open water divers can successfully dive this site although you need to watch above you for the hulls of ships.  You don’t want to smack your head into one!

Difficulty of Dive:

This is a pretty easy and straightforward dive.  The hard part is getting permission to dive this site.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

Depending on where you are allowed to park, you may have to walk over 1000 feet to get to an entrance.

Surface Swim Length:

Depending on where you’re allowed to enter, you may have to do a surface swim of over 1000 feet.

Special Site Notes:

You absolutely MUST 100% have written permission to dive this site!  If you don’t you may find yourself being questioned by state police when you surface.  It’s not a bad idea to fly a dive flag here to make sure anyone working on the research vessels at the OSU Research Dock are aware of your presence.  We have our tried and true dive flag listed on our Gear We Use page.

We suggest you try getting in touch with some of the ship operations people to see if you can get permission to dive this site.  If you’re a current or former Beaver, you have a better chance than if you’re a Duck.

[Underwater Map of Dive Site Coming Soon!]

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

In the South Beach area of Newport there is a good local dive shop that offers air fills, can repair gear, has gear for sale, and rents gear.

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

On both sides of the bay there are good restaurants and brewpubs.

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

We recommend South Beach State Park’s campground.  We particularly like the yurts on cold winter days.  If you know of a good SCUBA diver friendly hotel in Newport, please let us know!

South Beach State Park has great yurts that SCUBA divers can rent. The heaters in the yurts really are nice after a long day of diving around Newport.

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!

Categories
Central Oregon Coast

Newport – Public Crab Dock

The public crab dock on the south side of the bay in Newport, Oregon can be a fun, shallow dive at high tide.  We have found sunglasses, lost crab pots, beer bottles, golf balls, wallets, keys, and the occasional fishing pole in the water under and around the crab dock.  It is a good idea to have a friend stay on the surface and stand near your bubbles to help calm the nerves of any recreational crabbers who might think that you’re trying to steal their crabs.  It should also be pretty clear that it is a Bad Idea to steal crabs out of someone’s crab pot or for that matter to even try crabbing here while on SCUBA.

A photo of the crab dock in Newport
The public crab dock on the south bayfront in Newport, Oregon is a fun place to dive although you need to watch out for people throwing stuff on you if they suspect you’re stealing their crabs!

Site Highlights

The main highlight of this dive site is exploring under and around the dock for lost sunglasses, hats, wallets, keys, crab pots, fishing poles, and whatever else people have lost over the side.  Visibility is always low and sometimes you can’t see anything at all.  It is a shallow dive meaning that you can stay underwater poking around for a very long time if you want to.  For people who want a little navigational challenge, you can head out to the Yaquina Bay Bridge footings to see what there is to see.  However, we can’t advise you do this because we are pretty sure that somehow you could be charged with terrorism for getting too close to the bridge without permission!

Nearest Town:

Newport, Oregon.

GPS Coordinates:

44.620918, -124.053921

Special Directions to Site:

Take the aquarium exit from US101 and follow the signs to Rogue Brewing and Brewers on the Bay.

Parking:

There is a big public parking lot right by the crab dock.  There are bathrooms and there is a fish cleaning station at the west end of the parking lot.

Newport crab dock site plan.
Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google.
The Newport crab dock is a fun little dive but be mindful of people above and watch out for fishing line.

Site Orientation:

The crab dock runs roughly north-south.  Stick close to the piers and you can’t lose your way too badly.  If you want to venture out to the Yaquina Bay Bridge footings, it can be a fun navigation challenge.  However, we recommend against it because you could be charged with a terrorism-related crime!

Entrances and Exits:

The entrance and exit is right by the car park.  You will have to climb over some jetty rocks but there is almost never any surf or surge here.  Wakes from passing boats can make it a little challenging but otherwise this is a much better entrance than what you usually find at places like the fifth finger on the South Jetty.

Salt/Fresh:

This is a salt water dive.

Shore/Boat:

This is a shore dive.

Normal Conditions:

Usually the water is fairly calm here.  Wakes from passing ships can stir things up.  Note that you can really only dive this site at high tide.  Otherwise you’ll be walking around on mud flats rather than diving.

Normal Visibility:

Visibility is usually poor with a good day giving you 10 feet and a bad day giving you 0 feet.  The bottom can be stirred up and cause a black-out situation.  In that case, it’s probably best to surface, swim a ways, and then descend again.  Excellent neutral buoyancy skills are a must here.

Normal Temperature:

Water temperature varies by the season and by how much water is coming out of the Yaquina River and by the crab dock.  We usually see between 45 and 55F at this site.

Best Time of Year:

There isn’t really a best time of year here.  Instead, there are better high tides than others.  Find a high tide that is very high so that you have some more water to dive in.

Max Depth:

At the very end of the crab dock on a very high tide, you can hit 25 feet.  Most of the dive site is more in the 10-15 foot range.  Most dive computers won’t even start logging a dive at that depth!

Suggested Special Training:

Open water divers can dive this site if you are okay with the entrance and you know what to do if you get tangled in fishing line.  We strongly recommend carrying a dive knife and a safety shearer.  We have our favorites that we carry on every dive over on our Gear We Use page.

Difficulty of Dive:

The dive itself is pretty easy.  The entrance is a little tricky with having to climb over some jetty rocks and the risk of entanglement in fishing line is big enough that we rate this as an intermediate dive.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

About a 100 foot walk is needed to get to the entrance.

Surface Swim Length:

Technically you can start diving right away but we recommend surface swimming at least to the start of the crab dock before you descent.  Figure on a 250 foot surface swim at a minimum.

Special Site Notes:

If you dive this site at anything other than a high tide, you will be swimming in mud flats rather than actually diving.

We highly recommend having a friend stay on the surface and monitor your progress from the crab dock.  Recreational crabbers and fishermen may have a few nasty things to say and a few objects to throw at your bubbles.  It’s a good idea to have a friend along to smooth over any frayed nerves and reassure them that you aren’t stealing their crabs!  Also you might make a friend if someone has lost something over the railing and you can find and retrieve it.

We highly recommend taking along a mono-filament (fishing line) cutter.  You are almost guaranteed to run into some underwater.  We have our favorite knives and safety shearers over on our Gear We Use page.

[Underwater Map of Dive Site Coming Soon!]

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

In the South Beach area of Newport there is a local dive shop that does air fills, repairs gear, rents and sells gear, and can give additional info on local dive sites.

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

Right next to this dive site there is a great brewery and restaurant.  Otherwise on the other side of the bay there is a whole street of good food.

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

South Beach State Park has good camping and some great yurts for rent.  We stay here frequently when we visit Newport.  We haven’t stayed in any hotels in Newport yet but if you know of a good one that is SCUBA diver friendly, let us know!

South Beach State Park has great yurts that SCUBA divers can rent. The heaters in the yurts really are nice after a long day of diving around Newport.

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!

Categories
Central Oregon Coast

Newport – South Jetty – Jetty Tip

For very experienced divers who want a challenge and are willing to accept the risks involved, diving out toward the tip of the Newport South Jetty can be a rewarding experience.  However, diving the jetty tip is not to be taken lightly or tried in anything other than ideal conditions.  There are very real dangers present that even the most experienced diver can be caught by surprise in very unsafe situations.  Those who do attempt this dive will be rewarded with more macro marine life (lingcod, rock fish, crabs, etc.) than on the five fingers further in the Yaquina Bay.  We know some SCUBA divers who like diving the jetty tip to spearfish and crab.

 

The jetty tip of the South Jetty in Newport juts out into the Pacific Ocean to allow ships to pass in and out of Yaquina Bay over the bar. Only the most experienced divers should try diving the jetty tip in ideal conditions.

 

Site Highlights:

The main highlight of this site, in our opinion, is that not very many people dive it.  Not very many people dive it for a reason though.  You need to be very confident in your skills and dive this site in ideal conditions.  We have never made it all the way to the tip of the jetty but we know people who have.  Someday when conditions are right, we will go for the jetty tip.  Until then, we can report to you what we have seen and what our SCUBA friends have told us about conditions on the jetty tip.

We have seen plentiful lingcod, perch, rockfish, and crab along the outer part of the jetty on the way to the jetty tip.  It is a good place to spearfish or crab because not many go this far out to do those activities.  However, fishermen and hobby crabbers do go out in the jetty so be mindful of lines.

Nearest Town:

Newport, Oregon.

GPS Coordinates:

44.612068, -124.073000

Special Directions to Site:

Take the aquarium exit from US101 and then follow Southwest Jetty Way toward the ocean.  Go to the very end of the road and find a parking spot.

Parking:

There is a lot of parking at the end of the road although sometimes it fills up with fishermen, surfers, and people enjoying the beach.  There is some parking a little further back toward Newport although you’ll have to walk a ways depending on which entrance you want to use.

jetty tip site map
Imagery ©2017 Google, Map data ©2017 Google. Diving the south jetty tip in Newport is a challenging experience that must be done in the right conditions.

Site Orientation:

This site runs roughly west from the entrances.  The further out you get, the rougher the conditions you will encounter.  We have only one about halfway out to the end of the jetty tip ourselves because conditions have been too rough for us otherwise.

Boat traffic goes up and down the channel regularly.  It might be wise to fly a dive flag.  We have one that we love and use when we go SCUBA diving in Oregon.

Maybe 100 feet off the tip of the jetty there is a deep hole where water currents swirl around.  Unless you really know what you’re doing, we don’t suggest checking it out.

Entrances and Exits:

Most people climb over the jetty rocks into the channel at the parking lot.  Some people enter further up toward Newport by the fifth finger.  You can also do a surf entrance on the south side of the jetty along the beach.  The south side of the jetty is usually pretty shallow but if your goal is to reach the tip, the walk down to the water’s edge will save you a surface swim or bottom time.

Salt/Fresh:

This is a salt water dive

Shore/Boat:

This is usually done as a shore dive although a boat could drop you off at the jetty tip.  Boaters need to follow the rules with respect to the channel.  A good captain is highly recommended.

Normal Conditions:

Normally the jetty tip cannot be dived safely.  It is usually much too rough and with much too strong of a current to go out to the very end.  The inner part of the dive site that is more protected from the open ocean is more diveable when the ocean is acting up.  However, we strongly recommend you dive this site in advance of high tide so that you are pushed back into the bay rather than sucked out into the ocean.  You could also time your dive to start with the very tail end of the tide going out so that you will be pushed back in with the start of the high tide although visibility won’t be very good.

Surf, surge, breakers, boats, fishing lines, crab pots, and general rotten conditions are often found at the jetty tip.  Look at conditions at the end of the jetty before you make the choice to go out there.  Walk out to the end and look with your own eyes to see if you like what you see.  Be prepared to abort the dive and turn around if conditions deteriorate.  There is no glory in being a dead SCUBA diver.

Normal Visibility:

On the inner part of this dive site, we have experienced up to 30 feet of visibility depending on ocean conditions.  Usually you’ll find the visibility around 15-20 feet.  The bottom is all sand so there are no worries about stirring anything up.  If you start to get sucked out to sea, you may need to crawl along the bottom so the bottom being sand is a good thing.

Normal Temperature:

Water temperature is exactly the same as the ocean.  Expect between 45F and 55F depending on the time of year.

Best Time of Year:

There is no best time of year on this site.  You can only dive this site when the sea is calm.  Any other conditions will result in a very bad day for you.  Turn around if conditions deteriorate and live to dive another day.

Max Depth:

If you look off the very tip of the jetty, you can find about 60 feet of depth.  However, most of the site is around 20-30 feet.

Suggested Special Training:

This site requires advanced training and a very seasoned buddy pair of SCUBA divers.  At the minimum you need advanced open water training.  We recommend drift diver training.  We also recommend extensive experience with surf, surge, and strong, unpredictable currents.

Taking along a safety sausage or other distressed diver indicator is highly recommended.  We carry safety sausages with us no matter where we dive and we suggest you do, too.  Our favorite is listed on the Gear We Use page.

Difficulty of Dive:

This is an advanced dive.  You should not attempt this dive unless you really know what you are doing and conditions are right.

Distance of Walk to Entrance:

There is an entrance right by the parking lot where you climb over and down the jetty rocks.  The entrance is hard.

A 1000 foot walk down the jetty and onto the beach leads to a surf entrance.  Depending on which way the waves are coming in, this might be a calmer entrance.

Back toward Newport, some people prefer to enter near the fifth finger by climbing over the jetty rocks.

Surface Swim Length:

You can start diving immediately on the north side of the jetty.  On the south side, a 300 foot surface swim will get you to deeper water where you will experience slightly less surge.  If you want to reach the tip from the north side, we suggest a lengthy surface swim (1000+ feet) to get out a ways before you go down in order to conserve air.

Special Site Notes:

This is a no screwing around kind of dive site.  ONLY dive here if you really know what you’re doing, you are willing to assume the risks, and the conditions are right.  You can easily get sucked out to sea, bashed up on the rocks, or run over by a boat.  DO NOT TAKE THIS DIVE SITE LIGHTLY.

[Underwater Map of Dive Site Coming Soon!]

Closest Local Dive Shops to Get Air Fills and SCUBA Gear:

There is a local dive shop in the South Beach area of Newport that has an air fill station, gear rental and repair, and a limited selection of SCUBA gear for sale.

Nearby Restaurants We Like:

Both the north and south bayfronts have a wealth of good restaurants and brewpubs.

Nearby Places to Camp and Diver-Friendly Hotels:

The South Beach State Park campground is a good place to camp.  The yurts are a great idea in cold winter months.  We have not tried any of the hotels in town.  If you have and know of one that is diver friendly, please let us know!

 

What Other People Have to Say About This Site:

Please write in the comments below your experiences with this dive site!